Ford Focus ST (2012 - 2018) 2.0 TDCi (185bhp) ST-1 Estate 5d Owner Review

Owned my ST estate since new. Nearly 5 years together and we must part ways... Purchased due to baby - diesel estates are family cars... This is the 1st diesel I have owned, and wow. Much more fun than I thought it would be. It is brisk but not fast, the mid range is immense. MPG has been around 35 during my ownership. I once managed 58 on a trip up north. It is not as economical as promised and on longer runs I very rarely see anything above 40. It may be possible to eeek out a few more but I can't. Saying that I have not seen less than 20 on any occasion. The best feature about this car is the handling, it is so much fun. It can be chucked into anything and with the right amount of adjustment thrown out just as quick. It does understeer, its fwd... for a standard set up it deals perfectly with the power/speed. Yes it torque steers magically in 1st,2and and 3rd in the wet but that is part of the fun. Yes, it does eat tyres. I'm on set number 6 at the front end and set 3 for the back. I've done 60k. With the traction control being linked to the brakes, it also enjoys pads/discs at the front. On 3rd set of pads and 2nd set of discs. The brakes are perfectly acceptable and cope although I doubt they would if tracked! These are consumables and expected with the type of driving the ST enjoys. The only thing to ever go wrong has been the EGR, this was remedied by a whack by a recovery driver. No issues since! Car has a lovely space in the boot and has been great for my kids (now 5 and 3) and trips to parks located centrally... Cannot fault it really except for adults, the leg room in the back is not great. Onto the bad points... it is uncomfortable. I suffer from a bad back and do not drive this car when it gets bad. Mine was only running 18" wheels. Seals in doors "fall" off and the badges on boot lid corrode badly. These are great fun and practical cars and one I am glad I have owned. Onto something more comfortable for my daily drive.